Method of building up tubular joint members



Dec. 11, 1945. I A.-L. STONE 4 METHOD OF BUILDING UP TUBULAR JOINT MEMBERS Original Filed Sept. 25, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 & F

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Dec. 11,1945. A 2,390,624

METHOD OF BUILDING UP TUBULAR JOINT MEMBERS Original FiIe'd Sept. 25, 1939 4 Sheefs-Shee? flag-L Q.

Dec. 11, 1945. A. L. STONE 2,390,624 V METHOD OF BUILDING UP TUBULAR JZOINT MEMBERS 1 F mere-for fllber/ll. 57297:.

Dec. 11, 1945. A. STONE 2,390,624

METHOD OF BUILDING UP TUBULAR JOINT MEMBERS vOriginal File d Sept. 25, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 to the building up of drill Patented Dec. 11, 1945 METHOD OF BUILDING UP TUBULAR JOINT MEMBERS Albert L. Stone, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Original application September 25, 1939, Serial No. 296,452. Divided and this application October 7, 1941, Serial No. 413,962

8 Claims. (Cl. 29-1482) This invention relates to methods of building up tubular joint members and is more particularly concerned with such methods as applied pipe tool joints for oil well strings.

While the invention is particularly adaptable to the reconditioning of worn joints, and the description is therefore mainly devoted to that aspect, its principles are adapted to the fabrication of new joints, as will later appear, and certain of the claims are inclusive of that aspect.

This application is a division of my copending application entitled Method of building up tubular joint members, filed September 25, 1939, Serial No. 296,452, now Patent No. 2,262,210, November 11, 1941.

Drill stem tool joints are tubular and include a body portion and a reduced diameter, externally threaded pin portion at one or both ends of the body portion. An annular shoulder eX-,

tends transversel from the base of pin portion to the outer periphery of the body portion.

While the invention ma be utilized to advantage in connection with any type of tool joint susceptible of the described method of reconditioning, repair and external reinforcement or protection, it is of particular advantageous application to tool joints of the general character set forth in Patent No. 1,932,427, issued to Frederick Stone on Well pipe joint, October 31, 1933. Therefore, I will describe the invention as applied to this particular type of tool joint, but this is 1 form a fluid-tight seal with a mating shoulder on a complementary joint box. Thesignificance of the shoulder accurac and its position relative to other elements of the tool joint, is fully pointed out in the above mentioned patent.

Such tool joints are exposed to extremely severe service conditions, and, being operated in the presence of highly abrasive drilling mud, wear thin in a relatively short time, the external peripheral wear reducing, of course,the radial ex tent of the described conical shoulders. It is ob vious that this wear not only creates a final hazardous condition, but even before that critical condition is reachedthe shoulder wear '(or its spread by reason of reduced backing up material) may greatly decrease the fluid-holding efficiency of the joint. 4

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide means whereby such joints, after considerable wear, may be expeditiously and relativel cheaply reconditioned, thereby greatly increasing their useful life with full efiiciency, the reconditioning being such that it in no way harmfully distorts or weakens the joint but on the contrary strengthens and reinforces it even to the point of giving it greater radial bulk and wear resistant qualities than possessed by the original joint.

In my copending application entitled Well pipe joints, Serial No. 225,362, filed August 17, 1938, now Patent No. 2,259,232, I have disclosed several reconditioning methods which have met with success. However, I have since found it necessary to concern myself more particularly with the problem of reforming the conical shoulders for it will be recognized that since these shoulders must mate with complementary shoulders on the box, must be accurately spaced with relation to other joint elements, and must take both fluid and mechanical pressural strains of a high order, the reconditioning must be of a nature which will permit the attainment of all these ends. It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide a reconditioning method which will fulfill all the required conditions, and yet do this without destroying the economic advantage of reconditioned joints. In other words, the end is attained by relatively rapid manufacturing steps and at relatively low cost.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through an unworn tool joint, showing in dotted lines how the wear may develop;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 shows progressive steps in following this embodiment, Fig. 4 being an. enlarged, fragmentary section of the welded shoulder in its final form as the result of the last step;

Figs. 5 and 6 show successive steps in a variational embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, show successive steps in another variational embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, show the adaptation of the invention to the fabrications of a new joint.

I will first describe Fig. 1 which, in full lines, represents one end of an unworn tool joint and, in dotted lines, shows how wear may occur. As said previously, the choice of this particular type of joint for illustrative purposes is not to be con struedlas limitative' onithe broader aspects f the inventionIthough the invention may be applied with particular advantage to this type of joint.

Ordinarily such tool joints are double-ended, and it will be understood thatinsuchoases both ends may be treated in the manner 'here described as applying only to one end.

Tubular .tool joint member 'l-b, inade, for instance, of steel, includes arelativel-y large diameter,.cy1indric body portion 4'] and a relatively small-diameter pin portion I2. The :pin portion has an external two-step thread l3, there being a tapered nose Id at the free end of the pin por- I tion, while thereis an unthreaded and slightly tapered peripheral extent .lfiat the .base end of the ipineportion. For purposes o'f-filea'rer illustration, the taper of extent lbishere shown exag- *geratedrin'deg-ree.

Body portion [I 'has an overhanging end .lipi 6 which, with peripheral extent I defines a :sub-

stantially v sha-ped groove III, the 'lip face l8 presenti-ng aconical shoulder facing towards the ef-r eeend of'the pin'portion and tapering in a direction opposite that of nose M. For reasons fully set-forth in the aforementioned Ipatent, :shoulder 18 is veryadcurately spaced from nose I4 and is carefully machinedfso it maymate with the freeen'd of -a complementary'box .(not shown) I to form a fiuid tight joint. Lip Li li is also depended upon to hold the interfitting box end from diametral spread when .the box an'dpin aresubijected to longitudinal co'mp-ressivestrains by reason of the threaded joint between member f0 and thelbox being made upwith predetermined tight- ,ness. {It will thus beseen that shoulder 1'8 is a rcriticahelement of the joint,both as to its locationland .as 'to its formation. -In connection with -the latter aspect, it will be seen that any trefformation .of the shoulder :durin-g reconditioning operations must leave .th-a-t shoulder solit willtake twithifull-efiici'ency Lthe-severe fluid and mechanic'al qaressural strains -=to-whic'h it will later be exrp'osed irruse.

Dotted :lines 1+9 indicate how member"! may be worn down through llp'eripheral wear, which, of c'ours'e, correspondingly reduces the radial extent *bf shoulder 18. Usually, Lthewear is such that fthe condition of each given jointand, of :course,

in someinstancesthis'preliminary truing is not essential, and therefore the indicationof an Sinitial out is not to be construed as limitative on 'thebroa'de'raspects'of the invention.

In Fig. 2 the body portion '11 has "been turned true and is, ofcourse, of'less diameter than the worn-diam'eter l i) of Eig. 1. Peripheral extent l5, which is intended to seat tightly on a'comple'men- :tary box shoulder '(not shown) is left undisturbed,

the juncture of this-extent with the turned-down body-face lfl beinglindicated at 21 ,junctionpoint ,"21 lying-at-a point-corresponding with the .bot-

tom of groove I! of the original joint member. and

the substantially coincident point where the bot tom of the reformed groove is to lie.

A sleeve or sheath 23 of wear resistant material, such as manganese steel, is fitted about bodyface 20, the sleeve being pre-fcrzmed with apertures 24 to receive subsequent plug-welds. The end 25 of sleeve 23 projects over peripheral extent f5 'ofgpinportion |2,a igroove Z6,-:defining the iongitudinal extent of'en'd '25, being cut annularly about the sleeve either before or after it is applied. In either event, the bottom of the groove ispreferably located substantially directly over =po'int2'|. In some cases it is desirable to cut the groove clear through to the joint stock after the 's'leeve is applied but before the Welding operation starts, the portion v25 being given sufiicient area and tightness of .fi'twith taper 15 to hold it, as a ring on thegjoint after it has thus been severed from the body portion of the sleeve.

It will be seen that end 25 inclusively occupies the position previously occupied by lipl 6.

The thickness. of sleeve "23 'is,pre'ferably'such as 'tobgi've an outside'diarne'ter which Will restore the .fjoirit at'least .to 'its ori'ginal diameter, though it 'is sometimes desirabl'e't-o increase thefsleeve th'ikmess to an extent which will make the over-all diameter .ofthe member evengreater'thanithat of "the original joint and thus give added'wear-tak- "ing I material and further "increase the useful life of thej'oint member. fIl'iis'latteris'the condition illus'trateflQinI-Figfl Sleeve Z3isthen plug weldedattl or otherwise "suitably bonded lto'th'e body portion-of the joint member, andthe bottom of"groo've Z6 is meltlweld'ed through, whereupon the 'groove, itself, is "filled with we'ld material 32, the welding operationincluding .sufiicient melt-Welding tocause weld-penetration into the body and pin' portions and into the s'leeveat'opposite sides 'of the groove 26, an approximately totheextent indicated in Fig. 3, thus weld-integrating all said penetrated "elements by the weld-zone W.

Groove "33 (*Fig. '4) is then 'cut to correspond "approximately with originargroove f1 and with the conical should-er 3 l correspondingwith-original 'shoulderltandspacediproperly with relation 'to nose M. It will be seen that lip 35 may be "partially' mad'eup o'f' weld materia'l and partially ofzthe "stock 'of 'sleeve -23 "impregnated to greater .or lesser extentfibythwweldmaterial; 'Lip 35 is "thus integrated by *weld -zone W "with sleeve 23, "bo y portion! I and (at 36") with pin portion '12, the integration "being such that groove 33 is bounded by anintegrated'surface which offers no opportunity for fluid dea'kage between the originahstock and thewelded-onmaterial; nor :for spreading failure when the joint is subsequently exposed "to heavy "fluid or mechanical pressura'l effe'c'ts.

The top-*oflip -35 "may "be cut downto correspond withtheoutside d-iameter of original-lip 1'6 and -weld" 3-2 then turned ofi -as at "'37 to *merge that diameter into the 'outs'ide diametel' -of sleeve 23.

' Int'he "descriptionbf the following variations, "thef'same referencenumerals viill be given to lpartsiwl'iic'h correspond 'to' like "elements in Figs.

.1. to 4, without need ofrepeated' individual de- 'scription.

iIn Zthe embodiment 'o'fFigs. 5 and 6,the method is generally the same as .describediin connection ,withFigs. 21 iilthroug'h 4, withithe exception that, instead of utiliz'ing-a'fiill-tube s'leeve,"thereishere .showna .sleeve .orshealthing inthe'form tr a spiral rapp fzs'. .En'd25" lextendsiovermeportions. welds 55 and 59.

The end-groove, overhanging lip and joint joints.

ripheral extent I and is provided with a weld Groove 26' is welded through (Fig. 6) as debe seen that this expedient calls for certain prescribed in connection with Fig. 3, a suitable dam D (Fig. 5) preferably being arranged at the outer junction of the spiralled groove and groove 26. i The end-groove, overhanging lip and joint shoulder will then be formed in a manner similar to that previously described and illustrated in I Fig; 4.

In Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, another variation is shown. The first step is to fill groove H with weld material 55, preferably extending this fill over peripheral extent I5 even beyond the overhanging lip I6. Weld material 55 penetrates the 1 up, pin and body portions of the joint member asindicated in Fig. '7.

The body portion, lip and weld 55 are then turned down as indicated in Fig. 8, and a wear resistant sleeve 56 is fitted about the joint mem her as illustrated, the sleeve fitting the turned,

peripheral face 51 of weld 55 as well as the turned face of the body portion.

Either before or after application of the sleeve,

I that sleeve is annularly grooved at 58, the groove beinglocated substantially directly over point 27.

The-bottom of groove 58 is then melt-welded through and the'groove filled with Weld material 59, giving the general effect of Fig. 9, Weld mate- I rial 59 integrating the sleeve material at opposite sides of the original weld-groove, and, by virtue ofi'ts integration with weld material 55, integrating the sleeve material with the pin and body Weld zone W thus includes integrated shoulder are then formed (Fig. 10) in a manner similar to that previously described and illus- H trated in Fig. 4. The end of the lip may be chamfered as at 64, if desired. If, desired, a second weld groove 69 may be P provided in sleeve 55, adjacent groove 58, and

.when the bottom of this second weld-groove is 1 welded through and the groove filled with -weldmaterial 6I, that material BI additionally integrates the sleeve and body portion and, by virtue of the weld integration between material 59 and 6|, there is a further tie between all the named elements.

. Additional weld-groove 52 may be provided in sleeve 56 at a point longitudinally spaced from groove BI and used for providing a melt-weld bond 63 between body portion I I and sleeve 56.

In Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, is shown an adaptation of themethod to the fabrication of new One of the distinct advantages gained by this adaptation, is the fact that it enables the use of relativel thin-walled tubing for the body portion of the joint, the extra'stock for supplying the central enlargement, and the j shoulders at the ends of that enlargement, being supplied by way of a sleeve which is weld-integrated with the body and pin portions. 010-- viously, this is of economic advantage over the usual custom of starting with tubing stock whose wall thickness is, throughout, that of the central enlargement and then cutting down the ends to the required reduced-diameter of the threaded pins. But in building up the stock with the sleeve and with the rigid requirements as to the shoulder characteristics, spoken of above, it will 1 ticular thickness-requirement of any given job,

is then applied (Fig. 12) in the manner 'described in connection with Fig. 2, with groove 26" located over point 21'. The weld is then accomplished (Fig. 13) in the manner described in connection with Fig. 3, and the joint is finished off (Fig. 14) in the manner described in connection with Fig, 4 (except that the cut 31 need not necessarily betaken), with all the advantages described in connection with Fig. 4. An additional weld-bond between sleeve and tube may be provided at 63', as described in connection with Figs. 8 and 10.

While I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

l. The method of reconditioning a. tubular joint member that has a body portion,a reduceddiameter pin portion at oneend of the body portion and an annular shoulder extendingtrans- I sleeve projecting beyond the end thereof over the pin portion adjacent the shoulder, forming an annular, peripheral groove in and spaced from one end of the sleeve and located approximately over the predetermined location of the re-formed shoulder, melt-welding through the groove bottom and Weld integrating the sleeve at both sides of the groove with the joint member, substantially filling the groove with weld material and weld-integrating the material with the defining walls of the groove, and cutting an annular shoulder in the sleeve material and in the zone of weld in said predetermined spaced relation with the free end of the pin,

2. The method of reconditioning a tubular joint member that has a body portion, a reduceddiameter pin portion at one end of the body portion, and an overhanging lip on the body portion that defines with the base end-of the pin portion an annular groove presenting 'aconical shoulder facing toward the free end of the pin; that includes filling said groove with weld material and weld-integrating the material with the defining walls of the groove to form an integrated fill-weld, flush-turning said body portion and fill-weld to true them with respect to the memher axis, fitting a sleeve of wear-resistant material on the turned surface of the body portion and fill-weldftherebeing an annular" weldgroove formed in the sleeve and spaced from one end thereof, locating said weld-groove over the bottom of the original shoulder-forming groove,

melt-Welding through the weld-groove bottom and thus weld-integrating the sleeve with the gioint member and fill-weld, substantially ltllli-ng -the iwelde ooile with zweld material and weld-integrating the material with-ithe'idefining iweallfi qt isaid weld-groove, and (cutting a groove in zeal-d zsleeve material and tin the zone of weld loorresponding substantially :to the shoulderstorming groove of the member in its original 7 zoondition.

Ehemethod ofreQQnG-itioning-atubuIar joint .anemberthat has a body mention, a reducedhfiiameterr iimportion latione endof the body doorition, and an overhanging lip on the "body portion lthazt idefines with rthe ibase end of the pin norition-aam 'annular'groove rpresenting a :oonical shoulder ifao'ing toward the three end :of :the min; that includes dining zsaid;g roove with'we1ii matezand wveldeinte rating ithe -material with ithe I oval-ism the groove to liormzanintegrated uzfillkwfild, ifiushstliiln-m :said ibody lDOIltiOl'l zand 'sfis aweld in time relation'with .respedt to the member axis fitting .a sleeve of wear-resistant material on the turned snriaoes of :the :body nor- .itdon'and dill-weld, being .an annular weldgroove doomedin the sleeve :and spaced from one end thereof, locating said weld-(groove over the bottom :ef the original shoulder-iornnng :groove,

rim ltrwelding through the weld roove bottom andathn wefldaintegrating the sleeve the joint member and dill-weld, substantially liiling the weld-groove with weld material and weld- ;integratirrg :the material with the definin walls ofsaid weldegroove, there being aseoorrd annular weld-groove :fiormed in the sleeve adjacent the first weldegmoye, melt welding :through the "bottom of the second meld-groove and through one side wall of the second weld-groove and into the weld .material in the first mentioned weldt rooye, and substantially filling said second weldgroove with weld material and weld-integrating the material withthe defining walls of said second weld-groove, and :outting a groove in said ,sleeve material and in the zone of weld over the ioottom of the original shoulder-forming groove and nor-responding substantially to the shouldersfiormingsg-roove of the member in its original conloll-high.

woori on a annular groove presenting .a conical shoulder facing toward the free end of the pin;

-that includes filling said :groove ,with weld material and weld-integrating the material with the defin ng walls of the groove to form an initegrated fill weld, applying asleeve to the body portion withiits lend projecting over :the fillswe d, weld-integrating the endof the sleeve with said :fill-weld, and outli e a :grooue in the zone 1 I w ld and ioorresponding substantially to the I more of the member in original condition.

5, The method of reeonditioning a tubular joint member that a lhodypolltion, avredueeddiam ter p portion at one end of the :body .1

. tion, and a shoulder extending between the por- 'tions and fading toward the iree end of the pin; that includes building :up by welding operations on annulus of weld material about the lease end s; th pin ortion and integrated with thebody 4 the shoulder of the member in its original iconedition.

6. "The method not reconditionin a tubular 7 joint member that hasa doodyportion, a reduceddiameter ;pin portion at one .end of the rhody portion and :an annularshoulderextending transwersely of thejointsmember from ithe-bod v portion to the pin portion in predetermined longitudinally spaced relation with the free :end of :the :pin, the reconditioning to include the re- ;iorming 10f isaid shoulder, that :includes turning down the thody portion, cutting an r-annular, peripheral groove in a sleeve at a point spaced from one end thereof, fitting said sleeve to said turned-down body portion so said one lend et the sleeve projects beyond the end of the body portion and over the pin portion adjacent the shoulder :and ;so said groove overlies the predetermined location of the reformed shoulder, melt-weldin through the groove :bottom :and weld-integrating the sleeve at both sides of the groove with the joint member, substantially dill- *ing the groove with weld material and weldintegrating the material with the defining walls of :the groove, and cutting an annular shoulder the sleeve material and in the :zone of :weld in :said :pre-detennnned spaced {relation with the free end of the pin.

:7. The method of building up a tubular joint member, that includes tightly fitting an -external sleeve to a tubular element, weld-integrating the sleeve and the tubular element with :an annular weld lextending radially through the sleeve from the outer periphery thereof andinto the :element, and in a zone which is axially inwardly spaced from :both ends vof the sleeve loutiisneaaor :to one sleeve-end than it is to the :other, :said iWEld extending continuously about the member .in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis or the ;member, and cutting :anannular shoulder in said annular weld with the shoulder extending transversely of the member axis :and being exposed 'at said one end of :the sleeveas an :end seat .for'

said joint member. 7 V

8. The .method of building up a tubular joint member, that includes tightly fitting an external rsleeyei-to a tubular element, weld-integrating the sleeve and the tubular element with an annular weld extending radially through the sleeve from the outer periphery thereof and intovthe element, and in a zone which is lax-lazily 'inwardly spaoed from 'both ends of the sleeve but is nearer to one sleeve-end than it is to the other, asa'idiweld extending continuousl about The member :in a

plane normal :to the longitudinal axis or the (member, cutting away a part, at least, of said one .end of :said sleeve where it :extends :axiailly beyond the weld and :cutting away a :portion .of said annular weld to rform in the sleeve andweld a continuous annular shoulder extending transyersely of the member axis and being exposed at said one end of the sleeve as an :end seat .for said joint member.

ALBERT l1. 

